E-ACT Blackley Academy

E-ACT Blackley Academy is performing well overall, achieving a good rating across various domains. The school has effectively maintained a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, fostering positive relationships between staff and pupils which contributes to a safe and happy learning environment. The leadership has set high expectations for pupil achievement, and the personal development program is particularly strong, preparing pupils for their futures. However, performance data indicated that the Year 6 pupils' reading attainment was significantly below national averages, prompting a swift response from the school to bolster their reading curriculum in key stage 2.

Strengths

• Strong leadership and management contributing to a positive school environment.
• Effective teaching strategies for reading with early phonics education.
• Well-structured curriculum that builds on prior knowledge.
• Outstanding personal development programs that prepare pupils for life outside school.
• Positive pupil behavior and engagement in lessons.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils lack support to remember important information for future learning.
• A small number of pupils do not read fluently enough, hindering their access to the curriculum.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at E-ACT Blackley Academy attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.4% of pupils at E-ACT Blackley Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 E-ACT Blackley Academy had 23.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 16.6% of pupils at E-ACT Blackley Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 E-ACT Blackley Academy received £7,458 and spent £7,764 for each of its 424 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £455,000 (£1,074 per pupil).

Across all 37 schools of E-Act, income was £8,727 and spending £8,448 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Manchester · Manchester local authority: places and applications

E-ACT Blackley Academy is part of E-Act, which runs 37 schools. The nearest others:

• E-ACT the Oldham Academy North Oldham
• E-ACT Royton and Crompton Academy Oldham
• E-Act Parkwood Academy Sheffield
• E-ACT Pathways Academy Sheffield
• Willenhall E-ACT Academy Willenhall
• Reedswood E-ACT Academy Walsall
• West Walsall E-ACT Academy Walsall
• E-ACT North Birmingham Academy Birmingham
• Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy Birmingham
• E-ACT Nechells Academy Birmingham

What is E-ACT Blackley Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for E-ACT Blackley Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was E-ACT Blackley Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

E-ACT Blackley Academy was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does E-ACT Blackley Academy have?

E-ACT Blackley Academy has 441 pupils on roll.

What age range does E-ACT Blackley Academy cover?

E-ACT Blackley Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are E-ACT Blackley Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is E-ACT Blackley Academy?

E-ACT Blackley Academy is at Victoria Avenue, Blackley, Manchester, M9 0RD.